EU set to fight Internet tax and "spying" at global summit

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - European Union member states are preparing to fight as a bloc alongside the United States to prevent a move by Russia and countries in Africa to impose a levy on internet traffic and make it easier to track users' activities.

The showdown over the policing and administration of the internet will take place at a meeting of the International Telecommunications Union in Dubai from December 3-14, when the ITU's 193 member countries will meet to debate new net rules.

The EU's 27 states are staunchly opposed to sweeping plans to regulate the internet, including proposals from Africa, Asia and the Middle East that governments should be able to trace the flow of Web-based traffic and introduce a tax on companies such as Google and Yahoo! if they deliver content to networks abroad.

The United States, which plays a dominant role in administering the internet via ICANN, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers, is firmly opposed to any new restrictions, which it fears will limit innovation and commerce.

It is backed in its stance by the EU, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and other ITU-member countries. As well as having support from African countries, officials say Russia has backing for some of its proposals from China.

"The EU believes that there is no justification for such proposals," the European Commission, the EU's executive, said on Friday, saying it was the view of all 27 member states.

Neelie Kroes, the European commissioner responsible for internet policy, says some of the proposals being made ahead of the ITU conference risk damaging the internet's evolution as a critical piece of global commercial infrastructure and a network for the free flow of information and data.

"The European Union's firm view is that the Internet works," she said this week. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
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